Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-09

Dalton ana l. atttf X whispered con-
sultation, agreed TO be patient and cheer
full, hoping thereby to secure better terms.
The savages Tunsacked the cave. They
pelted each other with the biscuits, evil
IDENTIFY not knowing their edible qualities.
They shifted at the brandy cask and
smacled their lips They rummaged our
pockets and took away our pistols and
knives
AT last the crowd withdrew and held
pow-wow ON the beach Their head man
talked to them and finally several stout
men returned 10 us and carried four Of
our party off.
Bad sign" muttered Dalton, ''that
means that We are TO be killed, OF that the
others will be. cant tell which"
Just then the head man came up to US
Slapping his breast. he said
Me kybela. Me king. You live
wid me
Seeing that he spoke English so well,
We asked about our fellow prisoners.
His reply Mortified us As well as We
could understand il our companions had
been taken of so be sacrificed A volcano
in the center of the island had been rum
bling and belching out fire and smoke at
intervals for some time past, and his
uldJSSiN, NllS NN Dtiu' nsth ueStueu 10
make terms with the angry spirit in the
bowels of the earth by pitching a few
white men into the crater He paid no
heed to our protests, and as we never saw
the four men again, there is little doubt
that they met the terrible doom marked
out for them His majesty seemed to be
surprised that we took it so hard. He
patted us on our heads, and said:
Ill, g.,
You live wild me"
This somewhat relieved us. II our lives
were to be spared there was still hope
The next day his majesty set us to work
We found that our lives had been spared
because King kybela wanted somebody to
guard and take care of the sacred roosters
OF Nangho 10.
Hanged if this can be realr' said Dal-
ton to me Am l a lunatic, Am dream
ing' 1t is nonsense to say that such things
can be-"
1t was ali painfully real to me We had
been carried over the mountains to the
quiet valley where his majesty Kybela
lived in bamboo shanty, surrounded by
similar edifices We had been freed from
our bonds, and Il dozen natives armed with
spears had introduced us to the sacred
There were seven roOSterS, and the mo
ment we saw them we thought OF poor
Barlow and knew that he had told us the
truth. These remarkable birds were six
feet high. They were built on the Shanghai
order and were ferocious and repulsive in
appearance Their eyes resembled balls OF
red fire Their bills were fully two feet
long and their spurs We're about nine
inches Thaip aIthan.yh nilal
every day. were rough and shaggy, and
their wings were too closely clipped to look
well. The muscular legs Of these creatures
legs nearly as large as a man 's-showed
that they We're possessed OF enormous
strength and endurance.
Our guards told us that the sacred
roosters lived forever, when they were
properly cared for. When one died it was
the custom Of King kybela to order the
keepers To be killed, and there had been
of late such an unprecedented mortality
among both ROSTERS and keepers that
his majesty had been unable 10 find mem
bers of his tribe who would accept this
important trust Matters had approached
an open revolt when our capture oc-
Cured
We must do our duty by the sacred !
roosters of Vangho Lo," said Dalton. |
Remember that while they live we are
safe
Knowing how much depended upon it. !
we Immediately set to work To make |
ourselves solid with the roosters. We |
were separated from them by bamboo |
picket fence, and were in no danger, ex-
cept once IA day when we went into the |
inclosure to oil their feathers. At such |
a
a long mop, while the other stood off |
with IA gong which he beat furiously when |
one of the birds showed disposition to
make charge.
In the course of few days we got |
things reduced to a system. One of the |
ROSTERS entangled n spur in my garments |
and dragged me around the yard one
and another snatched off Dal-
tons cap and swallowed it, but with the
exception of these tritling accidents every
thing moved along serenely.
The horrible novelty of our position
seemed To worry Dalton. Every night he
would talk about it.
1T is awful" he said. These ROSTERS
Are bad enough. Who would have be-
ieyed that such monsters existed, And
hen everything else is on such distorted
scale. The clouds here get tangled up in
/ fellows hair and whiskers The sun is
llway. shining through red haze Some
If the trees are cannibalistic. II man
,oes 10 sleep under one the branches droOp
lown and close on him and drain his life
blood. Nearly all the vegetables grow
without any roots. They are pulpy balls
olling Oh the ground, without any stem
n stalk, O. anything. Now, you may be
Ible TO stand this sort Of thing. but it is
irving me crazy"
felt rs badly about it as any one could,
'ut still counseled patience.
One day everything was in commotion
n his majesty's shanty, and in the village
# bamboo huts around it. The king
his warriors and they beat
heir gongs and branfished their spears.
very now and then they ran ont to the
Ell where we We're guarding the sacred
oostcrs.
Something is up" suggested Dalton.
Finally King kybela came to us and
aii that We must at once march with our
irds under n strong escort To the temple
Kama, where We would be stationed in
lture.
1t was useless TO object. and in an hour
'e were on our way. We had to march
1 single file through narrow path over
he mountains. A guide led the process
ion. Then | headed the roosters, and
'alton brought up the rear followed by
bout dozen able bodied natives armed
18th clubs. This order was adopted be-
iuse the birds had become accustomed to
leir keepers, and Were easily controlled
Y us. The natives did not dare To 90 near
lem.
At one place a gap in the mountains
ave us a glimpse Of the sea. I looked
own and my heart gave great jump
carcely three miles below in little cove
saw vessel anchored close to the shore!
What was TO be done, ! signaled Dal-
N, and he glanced through the gap and
nderstood the situation. We were being
to another point to prevent
lr discovery by the strangers.
During the next half mile exchanged
few words with Dalton. meaningless
ords to the natives, but full of import to
y friend. He understood me.
We We're in narrow pathway on the